


In The Cold Dark Night, I Found You

by SKJC



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-10 07:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10431879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKJC/pseuds/SKJC
Summary: Herald Otabek finds himself teamed up with Herald-Mage Yuri to investigate a mysterious magical weather disturbance in the south of Valdemar.AKA The OtaYuri Valdemar universe AU that literally nobody asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For those who know the Valdemar universe: I haven't actually re-read the post-Arrows books in some time so I'm sorry for any historical or geographical inaccuracies. I did try to Google these things?
> 
> For everyone except those two people who've read these books: In this universe, magical horse-like creatures called Companions choose exceptional people with special "Gifts" to be protectors of the kingdom who are known as Heralds. Centuries prior to the time period in this story, "true magic" similar to sorcery was common, but the Herald-Mages were killed off and it disappeared, only to return in the current time when the daughter of the Queen helped thwart a catastrophic magical disaster. 
> 
> In short, my apologies, this is what happens when I work 12hr shifts at the least busy location at my job with only a pen and notebook to amuse myself.

Doing nothing did not come naturally to Otabek. Sitting in his quarters to read was not his preferred way to spend an evening, but one could only go so many rounds sparring with Weaponsmaster Kerowyn before needing a rest, dinner time had passed, and the bathing rooms were filled with trainees who were too loud for his liking. He’d only been back in Haven a little over two weeks since his last assignment - resolving a land dispute between two farming families in a small town not even two days’ ride from the city - and he longed for some excitement, dangerous though that thought was. Heralds didn't die young sitting around the Collegium, after all.

Just as he was growing bored enough to give up on the book he was reading, a knock came at the door. Hoping it wasn’t one of his peers looking to get him to come out drinking, he got up to answer. His wish was granted - it was his former mentor Corbyn, a tall red-haired man he’d ridden his internship circuit with. Of all the people at the Collegium, Otabek felt like Corbyn understood him the best. Neither of them were particularly social - though Corbyn had a great ear for gossip that Otabek didn’t share. 

“Hey,” he said by way of greeting. “What brings you here?” Corbyn knew perfectly well he preferred not to take visitors unless there was a reason, so he had to have one. 

“Well, I’ve heard some interesting news about your next assignment!” Corbyn entered Otabek’s quarters and took it upon himself to take a seat in the sparsely-decorated room. “You’re going to hate it.”

“Well, thanks for rushing over here to tell me, then,” Otabek said sarcastically. “I didn’t know I had a new assignment.”

“Qadira didn’t tell you?” Corbyn raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I haven’t spoken to her since late this afternoon.” Qadira was Otabek’s Companion, and though they could Mindspeak across great distances, their ride in Companion’s Field earlier in the day had been his last contact with her. “So, what’s this assignment I’m going to hate?”

“You’re meant to ride out tomorrow to a place called Eridwald, down south. It’s not far from your home village, if I recall.”

“I’ve heard of it, but only vaguely.” Otabek took the seat across from Corbyn. “We didn’t do a lot of traveling back home. What’s their problem?”

“They’re having really weird weather. Unseasonably cold. Frost on the ground, dead crops, hypothermic livestock.”

“It’s the middle of summer.” Otabek was completely bewildered, but he understood the concern. Farming villages lived and died by the whims of the weather. “What in the world could be causing that?”

“This is the part you’re going to hate,” Corbyn said with a laugh. “They’re pretty sure it’s magic. It’s only affecting the one town, with fairly defined borders to the effect.” It had been years since true magic had returned to Valdemar after centuries of the Heralds’ mind-Gifts being the only magic in the land. The Mage Storms had been nearly catastrophic. “Oh, and I’m not done,” he continued, chuckling at the annoyed look on Otabek’s face. “It gets better. They’re sending you with one of the newer Herald-Mages.” 

Otabek groaned out loud. Mages, in his admittedly limited experience, were fussy creatures. At least the Herald-Mages had to take the same training as any other Herald. But for the sake of all that was holy, hadn’t true magic caused enough trouble in Valdemar in his lifetime? “Who? This had better not be their first assignment. I’m no field trainer and you know that's true.”

“He completed his internship circuit several months ago, and he’s been working here in Haven since then. I think he expected to stay here indefinitely,” Corbyn explained, more serious. “But Princess Elspeth is certain this needs a Herald-Mage, and everyone else with more experience can’t be spared.” The ranks of the Herald-Mages were still thin, despite the years that had passed since the return of true magic. Most children who were Chosen did not present Mage-Gift even in potential, and for those who did, Heraldic training took time. 

“Okay, so they need a mage.” Otabek sighed. “What kind of use am I supposed to be if the problem really is true magic?” His strong Gift of Mindspeech was useful only in limited situations, and while his FarSight Gift came in handy, he couldn’t imagine it being any use in comparison to Mage-Gift. Not that he really knew what Herald-Mages were capable of, outside of songs and legends. “Honestly, this sounds way out of my reach.”

“Your role is to provide a more experienced perspective. You've seen a lot of fieldwork for someone your age,” Corbyn explained, leaning back in the chair and propping his feet up. “And you know we don’t send people out alone unless there’s absolutely no alternative.”

“So, I’m this kid’s babysitter.” Otabek scowled. 

“He’s eighteen, hardly a kid. Your internship wasn’t that long ago, you know,” Corbyn pointed out. Otabek had turned eighteen while they’d been out on his internship just three years prior. “Plus, if it comes down to a fight out there for whatever reason, you’re one of the best around these days. Magic doesn’t solve everything - some situations still take cold hard steel.” 

“Fair point.” Otabek couldn’t contest that. He was skilled in a variety of weapons, and while that wasn’t a Gift, per se, it was a useful talent. “So who are we talking about?”

“His name is Yuri, his Companion is Svatava. Do you know him?” Corbyn asked curiously.

Otabek considered both names for a moment, brow furrowing. “I don’t think so. What can you tell me?”

“Nothing you’ll like. He’s a bit fussy, as most of those mages are, and he was raised at the Palace, which I’m sure contributed to that.”

“Royal family?” Otabek asked, even more confused. If this Herald-Mage were related to the Queen, wouldn’t he have heard of him before?

“No. His parents were nobles, but his mother died in childbirth and his father succumbed to a wasting sickness the healers couldn’t cure a few years later.” Corbyn shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “Sad tale, really, but it explains the boy’s stand-offish personality. Anyway, he was a bit of a fosterling to the entire palace before he was Chosen, and I think they’d rather prefer he stick around, but as you well know, as Heralds we go where we’re needed.”

“So, we’re talking about a spoiled, fussy eighteen year old with attachment issues and almost no field experience,” Otabek remarked, deadpan. “I can’t wait.” 

“Oh, come off it, Beks.” Corbyn rolled his eyes and sat forward again to look Otabek in the eye. “Let’s not pretend you’re a social butterfly. The two of you should get on fine if you get over whatever weird bias you have towards true magic. If he were that bad, he wouldn’t be a Herald.”

That was true, Otabek supposed. The Companions’ Choice wasn’t infallible, but it was extremely rare that anyone was Chosen who turned out to be unworthy of it. Only a handful of Heralds in Valdemar’s history had ever been repudiated by their Companions, and most of those had been under extreme circumstances. In general, Heralds were decent people - but that didn’t mean he liked all of them, not by a long shot. “Fine,” he admitted, after several moments of thought. “I can wait to judge him until I meet him. Anyway, do you know what theories they have about what’s causing these problems we’re to investigate?”

“That, my friend, would be a question for Yuri and Svatava when you meet them,” Corbyn replied, standing up from his chair to leave. “Even if I were privy to those briefings, I probably wouldn’t understand a word. I might not have your disdain for true magic, but it certainly is one complicated headache after another.”

Amen to that, Otabek thought wryly, shutting the door behind his old mentor and friend. He supposed it was time to get to packing up some of his winter-weight Whites, also known as the Heralds' "Oh, Shoot Me Now" uniforms. He’d probably receive an official summons in the morning to undertake this assignment, and it was best to be prepared.


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, Otabek awoke before dawn, as was usual for him. After washing and dressing, he intended to head out to the stables to groom Qadira and check over her traveling tack to make sure it was fit to ride out later. As he was leaving his quarters, he found a letter from the office of the Seneschal’s Herald tacked up to the outside of his door.

**_“Report after the end of morning mealtime for briefing and information regarding your next field assignment.”_** It was short and to the point, as always, which Otabek appreciated. 

The walk from the Heralds’ dormitories to the Companions’ stables wasn’t terribly far, and it was too early to go to breakfast yet, so he stuck to his original plans and went out in that direction.

_“Qadira?”_ He Mind-called, mentally seeking the presence of his Companion as he walked through the pre-dawn darkness. _“Are you in the stables or outside in the fields?”_

_“Good morning, Chosen.”_ Qadira’s lyrical voice rang in his mind. _“Outside at the moment, why do you ask?”_

_“I was planning to groom you before we head out on assignment later.”_

_“Ah, yes, Corbyn’s Pensri told me about that. She’s as big a gossip as he is. I’ll come in now.”_

_“Corbyn was shocked you didn’t tell me about this, but he did enjoy giving me the news himself since he was sure I wouldn’t like it, the sadistic bastard.”_

**_“_** _Oh, I don’t know that you’ll hate it as much as he thinks.”_ A hint of amusement colored Qadira’s mind-voice as she spoke. _“I’ve seen your new partner around, and I think you may rather like him.”_

_“And why’s that?”_

_“He’s absolutely gorgeous, and just your type, too.”_

Otabek rolled his eyes. He was at the stables by that point, and he went about getting out the grooming tools he’d need. _“I don’t have a_ ** _type._** _”_

_“Why certainly you do,_ ” Qadira replied, as she entered the stable barn from the side door. The entire complex was designed so that the Companions could come and go as they pleased. _“I’ve known you since you were fourteen. Every boy that’s ever caught your eye has been a bit taller than you, of a slender build, and blond.”_ She sidled up to him and stood still so he could begin brushing her.

 “You say that like I’ve gotten around a lot more than I actually have,” Otabek grumbled, switching to normal speech as he ran the curry comb over her coat in small circles. “There was Raynard when I was fifteen, and Phelan right before I left for my internship.”

_“Let’s not forget that tavern singer you spent those nights with up north. Or the guard archer from a few months ago while we were out on the road. They were both quite lovely, if I recall.”_

 “What’s your point? I’m far from being the only Herald to do those types of things.” Otabek put down the curry comb and began to remove the dust and residue it had worked out from Qadira’s coat with a stiff-bristled brush.

_“It’s an observation, not a criticism,”_ Qadira replied gently. _“If anything, you’re too solitary. Sometimes, I worry you’re lonely.”_  

Otabek didn’t respond to that, opting instead to just continue brushing. He really wasn’t that into the occasional one-night stands he’d indulged in while riding circuit, even though it was fairly standard behavior for Heralds and no one cared as long as everyone involved was a consenting adult. Maintaining relationships was difficult for most of them - life on the road, more or less constant danger and risk, and their close emotional bonds with their Companions all tended to complicate any chances they had at it. 

“My fair lady,” he finally replied, bending at the waist in a grand courtly bow in front of her, “how could I ever be lonely with such great beauty as your own in my life?” 

_“Well, in that case, I suppose you wouldn’t mind combing out my mane and tail as well.”_ Qadira knew perfectly well that he was deflecting, but chose not to address it further. _“And if you could braid my tail up for traveling, that would be splendid as well.”_

He complied, combing out the fine silver hair and plaiting her tail around a long strip of white fabric. By the time he was done with that, he figured he had just enough time to inspect Qadira’s saddle and bridle for traveling before he had to go to breakfast if he didn’t care to miss it entirely. She made her way back outside for a bit more relaxation time, and Otabek headed to one of the several tack rooms where Companions’ gear was stored. Once there, he promptly located her less formal set - he had little use for the fancy silver one with all the bells and ribbons, much as Qadira enjoyed wearing it - and sat down on one of the benches to clean and inspect it. 

His focus on the straps and buckles making up the saddle was broken when the door swung open and another person entered. It was a rather agitated-looking young man in Heraldic Whites, with shining blond hair and striking green eyes that caught his attention immediately. He didn’t realize he must be staring until the stranger glanced over at him.

“Sorry if I disturbed you,” the Herald said, not sounding particularly sorry at all. “This is the third room I’ve looked for Svatava’s tack.” 

“You must not get out much,” Otabek replied, wondering how someone could possibly not know which storage area their Companion’s things were in. 

“I haven’t worked in the field since my internship, and I usually ride bareback when it’s for leisure.” The young man’s voice conveyed that he was clearly annoyed at being forced to make conversation as he quickly glanced over all the storage racks, seeking the one labeled with the correct name.

Suddenly, Otabek was able to put two and two together in his mind. “You wouldn’t happen to be Yuri?” he asked. Between the man’s appearance and that last bit of information, it made sense. 

“I am, although I can’t imagine in what context you’d have heard of me.” 

_That was a rather odd thing for him to say,_ Otabek thought to himself. A lot of the Heralds were at least somewhat familiar with each other - he was one of the rare outliers who didn’t socialize as much. Out loud, he replied “I’ve heard through the gossip mill that we’ll be taking an assignment together.”

“Yes, right, the briefing.” Yuri sighed and turned around, rubbing at his temples as though he were nursing a headache. “The whole thing sounds ridiculous. Who cares about some weird weather. It’s probably a natural phenomenon blown out of proportion.” 

Otabek stood up from the bench, finished with Qadira’s saddle, to replace it on its storage rack. “My understanding is that it may be more serious than a bit of weird weather,” he said carefully, not wanting to start an argument with someone he’d just met and who he had to work with for the near future. “Crops and livestock dying, that sort of thing?”

Yuri scoffed and shook his head. “If that’s actually true, I’ll be shocked. People relaying information like that, it gets exaggerated. They think if they make it sound worse than it is, we’ll turn up and fix all their problems.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll see.” Otabek regarded the younger man carefully for a moment. “By the way, I believe your Svatava’s things are over here.” He pointed to a rack in the far corner of the room, a few rows down from Qadira’s, and Yuri hurried over.

“Oh, yes, thank you.” The thanks sounded as sincere as the earlier apology. Otabek watched as Yuri took the saddle off the rack to one of the cleaning benches, and made a mental note that the slender young man must be stronger than he looked, because he made lifting the saddle appear as effortless as though he were lifting a feather pillow. 

“Would you like any help?” Otabek asked. He didn’t mean anything by it, of course, but Yuri glared at him then, anger flashing in his rather stunning eyes.

“Yes, I’m a complete idiot and I’ve got no clue what I’m doing,” he all but snarled, sarcastic and biting, and Otabek’s eyebrows rose practically to his hairline. 

“Well, that isn’t what I meant, but in that case, I’ll see you at the briefing.” He resisted the base urge to snap back with an equally rude comment of his own, and instead just turned and left the room before Yuri could say anything else. He was about ready to eat breakfast anyway and the last thing he wanted to miss a meal for was arguing with someone whose attitude was larger than the city of Haven. 

The meal was uneventful, as usual, and the briefing afterwards went as Otabek expected. All the information he’d been given by Corbyn was rehashed, and Yuri had been silent through most of it, wearing a perpetually annoyed look on his face. They’d agreed to actually leave the city around mid-day, as Yuri hadn’t finished packing for the journey. 

Once both Heralds and Companions were fully equipped and ready to go, they set out from the grand gates of the city, riding south. They rode in silence for most of the afternoon, so Otabek chose to Mindspeak with Qadira instead. 

_“This will be a long assignment,”_ he said to her, already sounding as though he were weary of the task. 

_“Why do you say that, Chosen?”_

_“You may have seen Yuri before, but speaking to him is an entirely different experience.”_ Otabek sighed out loud despite himself. _“I don’t believe I’ve ever met another Herald with that sort of rude attitude.”_ He recounted the story of their meeting earlier in the day, and Qadira simply made a sort of affirmative noise in his mind in return.

  
After minutes of consideration, she finally replied. _“Well, that wasn’t a good way to start off, but can you perhaps think from his point of view for a moment?”_  

_“Meaning what?”_  

_“He’s young, inexperienced,”_ Qadira explained. _“He must know he received this assignment because everyone better suited to take care of something potentially serious is otherwise occupied. Perhaps he’s downplaying it because he’s worried. Don’t you remember being nervous on your first assignment after your internship?”_

Otabek didn’t reply - they both knew the answer to that - and she continued. _“Multiply that feeling by the factor that the situation may end up exceeding his capabilities, not to mention your own, and that would likely leave someone feeling quite anxious and liable to snap at little things. It’s not an excuse, but it may well be a reason._ ”

_“I suppose that’s not an unreasonable conclusion,”_ Otabek begrudgingly conceded. They slipped back into silence for a while longer, taking the dusty road at a relatively easy pace in the summer heat and afternoon sun. 

_“So,”_ Qadira spoke again after a time, _“was I right that you find him quite attractive, even despite the awful attitude?”_

_“Okay, fine, you do win on that point. Why you didn’t mention his eyes, though, I can’t imagine. Almost as beautiful as yours, my dear,”_ Otabek replied, and Qadira snorted her faux offense at the comparison. _“When I first saw him, I felt like I could look into his eyes forever… Except that he’d probably punch me.”_

_“Oh, you never know, he may warm up to you in time, particularly if I’m right about his motivations. Besides, you can be quite charming when you want to be.”_

_“We’re on a mission, not a date.”_ Otabek turned ever so slightly in his saddle to surreptitiously glance over at Yuri, who was staring straight ahead, a sullen look plastered on his face, as Svatava trotted along beneath him. _“And I’m not sure ‘charm’ will be sufficient to salvage this situation.”_

_“Well, we’ll see.”_


	3. Chapter 3

It was several hours on the road, the summer sun burning low in the sky, before Yuri spoke a word.

“‘Tava thinks that I should apologize to you,” he grumbled, still staring out at the road ahead, no change to his demeanor.

“Does she now?” Otabek replied with an air of faux disinterest and no small amount of sarcasm. “I can’t imagine what for.” 

Yuri scoffed, tossing his head to get his flowing blond hair out of his face before finally turning to look at Otabek. “I guess I didn’t have to snap at you in the tack barn.” 

“I wouldn’t say so, no.” Otabek chuckled lightly, meeting Yuri’s gaze. Svatava stood higher than Qadira, and Yuri was taller than he was, so he had to look up a bit to do so. “I have to admit I’m curious as to why you were so defensive about someone offering to help with something.”

“It was a month before my eleventh birthday when I was Chosen,” Yuri replied, his voice still rather flat. “Having grown up in the Palace, I was well-versed in a lot of things… I could already read, write, and figure. I knew history and geography, even a bit about politics and diplomacy. I could already ride and shoot and even fight a little. But in all my classes at the Collegium, I was the baby that everyone wanted to coddle, like I was a stupid kid who didn’t know a single damned thing.”

Otabek nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. It made sense, he supposed, although it was unfortunate that Yuri had internalized those feelings about himself to that extent. The Collegium was used to teaching newly Chosen Heralds from all sorts of backgrounds, but ten years of age was about as young as he’d ever heard of someone being Chosen. “Well, please be aware that I have no desire whatsoever to coddle you,” he replied, considering the words carefully. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re on this assignment because you have knowledge and abilities that I don’t.”

A bitter laugh escaped Yuri’s throat. “I’m glad at least one of us has faith in my abilities,” he groused. “Do you know anything at all about magic?”

“Only the sorts of things everyone knows,” Otabek replied, “from the songs and tales the Bards tell. The Collegium doesn’t make a point of teaching us much about Gifts we don’t have.”

“There are different skill levels that mages can reach,” Yuri elaborated. “Different schools of thought define them in different ways, but generally they relate to what sources of power any given mage can draw from. For example, journeymen and below are limited to the power within themselves, which prevents them from doing particularly elaborate or complex spells.”

“What other sources of power are there, then?”

“Ley-lines and nodes,” Yuri replied absently, looking at the horizon ahead once again. “We often think of ley-lines as streams of magical energy in the land, and they feed into nodes, like a stream feeds a lake.” 

“So, to access these reservoirs of energy,” Otabek said slowly, “I would imagine one would need a higher level of skill.”

“That’s right. Master-level mages can access ley-lines with proper training, but working with nodes is extremely dangerous for anyone below Adept level. The Heartstone at the Palace in Haven is a sort of artificial node, created back in Vanyel’s time.” Yuri sighed, looking down in front of him, appearing to study the pommel of the saddle. “Working with node energy is beyond my capabilities. I’ve attempted it with the Heartstone several times, and it’s never ended well.”

“Meaning what?” Otabek asked, genuine curiosity coloring the words.

“Ever overused your Gifts to the point of a reaction headache?” Yuri asked, and Otabek made an affirmative sound in reply. “Well, it’s like that, but a hundred times worse. Without being properly shielded from an outside source, an inexperienced or unskilled mage pulling more energy than he can control can kill him. Thankfully, the shields on the work rooms at the Palace prevent that when we’re training.” 

“Let’s do our best to avoid that in the field as well, yeah?” Otabek frowned. Nothing Heralds did was safe, but he couldn’t imagine any use of his Gifts that were likely to kill him. Even if he massively overextended his use of Farsight, he’d just end up with a really bad headache. “I’m not half bad at shielding - they teach that to all the strong Mindspeakers - is there any chance I’d be any help?” 

Yuri shrugged noncommittally. “Who knows?” He really had no idea. “If it comes down to that, we’ll try it. I’ve worked under the shields of Healers and Empaths, so I guess Mindspeaking is a similar Gift.” 

“I’ve got second-stage Truth Spell as well,” Otabek mentioned off-handedly. “After I was Chosen, it was mentioned that I had Empathy Gift in potential, but that never developed much, which I’m rather glad for after hearing about how much trouble the Queen’s Own had with it.” 

“Second stage, really?” Yuri was visibly interested at the mention of Truth Spell. “I can’t even manage that.” The Truth Spell was the one sort of ‘magic’ that all Heralds could do, mage or not, regardless of their Gift. The first stage was simple - it told the Herald whether or not the subject of the spell was lying. The second stage was more difficult and required a strong communication-type Gift to use; it was able to compel someone under its influence to tell the truth, even against their will. 

“Yeah, I figured it out during my internship,” Otabek explained. “Corbyn was thrilled to find out. It comes in handy on circuit.”

“My only other Gifts are Fetching and Mindspeech, but I mostly only Mindspeak with ‘Tava.” Yuri frowned. “You’re a Farseer, right?”

“Yes, and I’ve trained with Fetchers.” Otabek was anticipating questions at this point. It seemed like this was the thing Yuri was enthusiastic about - Gifts and abilities. That was fine with him, they had a job to do and it was best if they each knew the other’s skills and limitations. 

“Good.” Yuri grinned wickedly. “If we come across some evil bastard responsible for all of this nonsense, we can steal his stuff.” 

“I’m not sure that’s helpful.” 

“You never know, wizards and necromancers are often very attached to their focus objects.” Yuri held up the large tiger’s eye pendant around his neck, lifting it out from where it had been tucked under the folds of his Whites. “I could do magic without this focus stone, but it would be harder. Stealing something like this from an enemy combatant could turn the tides in our favor.” 

“So, do you actually believe there’s something going on?” Otabek asked curiously. It was a different tone than Yuri had taken earlier in the day. 

Yuri visibly sagged in Svatava’s saddle, a loud sigh falling from his lips. “I don’t want to,” he admitted, “but yes, I supposed I have to believe it’s a possibility. And I’m woefully unprepared to deal with it if that’s the case. I do sincerely hope we’re just investigating some weird weather.”

“Well, I believe in you.” Otabek wasn’t sure where that came from even as the words came out of his mouth. Yuri looked vaguely startled at the statement, but said nothing in response.

They rode in silence for a short time longer, before finally spotting a town on the road ahead. “I believe this might be a good place to stop for the night,” Otabek said. The sun was setting then, and since they weren’t riding circuit and their mission wasn’t in this area, there weren’t any rules or protocol stopping them from paying fair price for room and board at an inn. 

“Oh, good, you’re not one of those sticklers obsessed with living out of Waystations when we don’t have to.” Yuri stood up in his stirrups to stretch out his back and shoulders. “I understand why the rules exist, but we’ve no obligations here.”

“Agreed.” 

They rode into town with little notice. They weren’t even a day’s ride from Haven yet, the townspeople were accustomed to the sight of Heralds coming and going. The bright shining coats and hooves of their Companions, not to mention their own gleaming Whites, would attract more attention closer to the borders. They dismounted outside the town’s primary inn and tavern, and Otabek took the reins of both Companions. 

“If you don’t mind,” he said, “I’ll bed these ladies down in the stables while you get us a room for the night.”

Yuri nodded wordlessly and entered the building, while Otabek led the Companions around back. The stable boy on duty seemed familiar with Companions and showed Otabek to two large stalls at the end of a long row, rigged up with ropes on the latches so Svatava and Qadira could let themselves out if needed. Otabek made sure they were comfortable and had clean water and sufficient amounts of grain and fodder before he made his way inside the inn.

Yuri was already seated at one of the long tables, and easy to pick out from the crowd in his Whites. The cacophony of noise in the room disturbed Otabek deeply - between the musicians singing and playing, the drunken revelry of the other guests, and the movements of the tavern staff, he would rather just take his leave to bathe and sleep. However, his growling stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten in several hours and breakfast wasn’t likely to be much the next morning, so he joined his partner at the table to indulge in whatever supper was on offer. 

One of the plainly dressed serving girls approached the two of them as soon as Otabek had taken his seat. “M’lord Heralds,” she greeted them, looking particularly interested in Otabek. 

“I’m not anyone’s m’lord,” Otabek replied kindly, meeting the girl’s humble gaze. “Just a servant of the kingdom.”

“Likewise,” Yuri grumbled, his demeanor strangely similar to that of the early part of the day, practically scowling at the girl, who thankfully didn’t seem to notice. “We’re just looking for some food.” 

“Oh, I can manage whatever you'd like, surely,” the girl continued in her bubbly voice, still smiling shyly at Otabek, unconcerned with Yuri’s icy glare. “We’ve some mutton stew on offer tonight, and fresh barley bread. Nothing fancy, but it’ll fill your belly. Honey mead too, if you’d like it, goes quite well with the stew.” 

“All of that sounds lovely,” Otabek replied, giving no mind to Yuri’s attitude. Why the mage would be bothered by this nice girl was beyond him. “Thank you, miss, for your help.”

Once the girl was gone, Yuri turned his half-scowl on Otabek. “If you’d rather spend the night with her, I’ll gladly take a room to myself.” 

“What?” Otabek looked across the table at his partner, confused. “Why would I spend the night with her?”

“It’s clearly what she’s looking for.” Yuri rolled his eyes. “Oh, m’lord Heralds,” he mimicked the girl’s voice. “I can surely manage whatever you need.” 

“You know, some people are just nice to others for no reason,” Otabek chided gently. “I really doubt that’s what she intended.” He took a deep breath, considering whether or not to share the next thing he wanted to say, before finally deciding to. Haven was a generally accepting place and Yuri had been highborn and raised in the Palace, he surely wouldn’t be judgmental on the topic. “Besides, even if it was, I’m not interested in women in that way.” 

“Oh.” Yuri looked down at the table then, his cheeks flushing lightly with embarrassment. 

“Is that a problem?” Otabek asked carefully. 

“No.” Yuri’s answer was clipped and short, coming a little too fast for Otabek’s comfort, before he continued. “Any Herald-Mage who has a problem with that is rather a hypocrite.”

Otabek nodded silently - he knew the stories of Herald Vanyel as well as anyone who’d heard the songs. The serving girl returned promptly, setting food and drinks in front of them, and then flashed him a lascivious smile as she departed. Maybe Yuri was right after all, he thought wryly, but it was no matter. 

After they’d paid for their meal, they proceeded upstairs to the rooms the inn had available. The lodging Yuri had secured for them was sparse and spartan, but it had two single beds and a window to provide air circulation on the hot summer night. Otabek knew that less comfortable nights lay ahead when they reached their destination and were forced to sleep in the Waystations - accommodations kept specifically for Heralds on the road so they could remain separated from the populations they were meant to serve. 

While the light of the moon illuminated the room through the small window, Yuri turned the events of the day over and over in his head. This man believed in him, for whatever stupid reason, despite barely knowing him. It was ridiculous, he told himself. No one should have that amount of blind faith. Yet, he couldn’t help himself wondering what the coming days would bring for both of them. 


	4. Chapter 4

The Heralds’ second day on the road was remarkably uneventful. They made good time, riding at a pace that was comfortable for the Companions but that would tire a normal horse in hours, taking only a short midday break for food and water. It was shortly after nightfall that they finally stopped in another town to rest in another tavern’s inn, and all four members of the party were thankful for it.

“I haven’t ridden dawn to dusk like that since my internship,” Yuri complained lightly as he stretched out his legs on one of the small beds in their room. “It’s even less pleasant than I remembered.” His hips, back, shoulders, and neck all ached relentlessly and he was sure he wouldn’t sleep, exhausted though he was. 

“Well, I suppose with your skill set, courier duty isn’t in your future, so at least be thankful for that.” Otabek chuckled, removing a light set of sleeping clothes from one of his packs. “And wasn’t your internship less than a year ago?”

“Yes, and I’ve spent practically every waking minute since then in the mages’ Work Room.” Yuri twisted sideways at the waist in a motion that made his lower back pop audibly, first one direction, then the other. Otabek winced in sympathy at the sound. 

“I have some cream for sore joints and muscles in my pack if you’d like,” he offered. “I’ve got an old knee injury that flares up sometimes, it works wonders.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Yuri admitted sheepishly. “I’ll never be able to sleep. I feel like a clock wound too tight.” He rotated both of his shoulders in small circles, trying to ease the tightness of the cramped muscles but doing little good. 

It wasn’t until Otabek presented him with the small jar of cinnamon-scented cream and disappeared behind the room’s privacy screen to change clothes that he realized there was no way he’d be able to reach well enough to apply it to his own back and shoulders. He really didn’t want to ask for help - first of all, it was against his nature, and second, the man was just too damned good-looking and it was sure to end up being awkward. 

“ _Oh, Chosen, just get over yourself and ask the lovely man to put his hands all over you,”_ Svatava’s mental voice said to him, and he rolled his eyes reflexively even though she couldn’t see the gesture from her place in the stables.

_“Stop eavesdropping in my thoughts, nag.”_

Her laughter echoed in his mind.

“Something wrong?” Otabek asked, returning from behind the screen in a plain linen tunic and pants. 

“No, ‘Tava was just running off at the mouth again,” he replied, trying to figure out what to say. He was a Herald, damn it, and he’d known this man all of two days. He needed to concentrate on the mission, and to do that, he needed sleep. “Uh, bit of a strange request, I know, but could you help me put this stuff on my shoulders and back? I don’t think I can reach.” 

Otabek nodded in reply. “Sure. I probably should have thought of that.” He crossed the small room in just a few strides, took the little jar back from Yuri, and arranged himself on the bed behind him. “Get your tunic off, and then after this we can both get some sleep.” 

It took every ounce of willpower and self-control that Yuri possessed not to blush visibly at the words. _Just because he’s interested in men does not mean he’s interested in you,_ he told himself firmly. _Besides, you’ve got enough to worry about right now without creating more complications._ Still aware of Otabek’s gaze on him, he pulled his tunic over his head, and he jerked in surprise at the first touch of hands on his skin, despite the fact that he’d been expecting it. 

“Sorry if it’s cold,” Otabek said. “I tried to warm it up a little.”

“No, it’s fine.” Yuri tried his best to relax as the strong hands and swordwork-callused fingers dug firmly and surely into the knots in his cramped neck and shoulders. The spicy scent of the medicinal cream filled the room quickly, and the sharp pains had been feeling gradually dulled into a vague ache. He couldn’t help the soft whimper that escaped his mouth as Otabek worked a particularly stubborn cramp out of his neck. 

Moments later, Otabek hesitated before continuing further down Yuri’s back with the medicine, and Yuri felt him tracing the lines of scars he knew he had there. 

“What’s this from?” Otabek asked. “If you don’t mind the question, that is.” 

_He thinks I’ll snap at him for asking._ The realization was vaguely upsetting. He really had made a terrible first impression. “Just a stupid accident with some mage-lightning,” he replied, attempting an air of nonchalance. “I got distracted and it got through my shields, but my teacher was pulling his punches, so to speak.” He didn’t add the fact that it had still taken the Healers several days to patch up the resulting burns. 

“That’s awful,” Otabek murmured, but proceeded with rubbing in more of the cream, down over and past the white lines of the scars to Yuri’s cramped lower back, and Yuri hunched over a bit to accommodate. 

Yuri was practically asleep sitting up by the time Otabek was finished, and he pulled his tunic back on quickly, vaguely embarrassed even through his exhaustion that Otabek had noticed his stupid scars. 

“ _Having a good time, my dear?”_ Svatava spoke into his mind again as he crawled under the bedcovers.

_“Oh, shut up, horse.”_

Yuri slept much more soundly than he’d expected to, and Otabek had to prod him awake some time after sunrise. He woke up slowly, wondering why he smelled of cinnamon before recalling the previous night. 

“Sorry to wake you,” Otabek said, “but we should get on the road. I’ve packed most of our things and gotten a packet of breakfast from the cook. If we make good time, we can be at the Waystation closest to Eridwald by nightfall.” 

Yuri sat up in bed, bewildered, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “How late is it?”

“Not very.” Otabek grabbed the packs from the floor, leaving only the one with Yuri’s Whites and other clothing. “I’ve been up a while, that’s all. I’ll go saddle the Companions while you get ready.” 

After Otabek left, Yuri pulled himself out of bed, annoyed that he’d been allowed to sleep comparatively late while his partner did all the work of preparing for the day. He sighed internally as he dressed, trying to remind himself that Otabek didn’t think he was incapable, just that he needed rest. There was no reason he needed to blow up at the man for trying to be nice. Besides, if he did that, ‘Tava would just be upset with him again for failing to control his temper. 

After he was fully clad in his Whites, he made his way outside to find Otabek finishing up with saddling Qadira. Svatava already stood ready, groomed and outfitted. Otabek looked up as he approached. 

“Hey, all ready to head out?”

Yuri steadfastly ignored the fact that the glint of a smile in Otabek’s dark eyes gave him a faint feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t a damned schoolgirl. “Yeah,” he replied shortly, strapping his clothing pack onto Svatava’s saddle. “Let’s get out of here.”

Otabek held out something to him that turned out to be a bread roll with a piece of sausage and some cheese inside, wrapped in a bit of paper for carrying. “Breakfast,” he explained. “I’m going to assume you can eat in the saddle.”

“Of course.” Yuri pocketed the food and mounted up, and Otabek followed suit. He debated internally whether he should say something to his partner about allowing him to sleep late, but for once in his life, he found he didn’t really feel like being confrontational about it. 

“I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable last night,” Otabek said, after they’d been riding in relative silence for some time. “Especially after what I told you the other night in the tavern.”

“You didn’t.” Yuri chewed at his lip awkwardly, unsure how to address the second part of the statement. “I asked for your help, remember?”

“Yes, and I’m aware of the significance of that. I’m actually a bit shocked you’re not mad that I let you sleep in while I took care of things.” 

“I actually was when I woke up,” Yuri admitted, embarrassed that Otabek had guessed that. 

_“He’s a smart one, my dear. You ought to keep him after all this is over._ ” Svatava threw her unsolicited commentary into his mind, as usual.

“Well, I’m sorry,” Otabek replied, sounding amused. “I wake up by dawn no matter what, I’m just used to it, and you seemed like you could use the sleep.”

“I’m not mad now.” Yuri looked over at the other man carefully, not wanting to give away too much of what he was thinking. “I talked myself out of it. I know you meant well.” 

Otabek chuckled softly and nodded his acknowledgement, and they continued across the countryside at the Companions’ steady, ground-gobbling pace well into the afternoon. They stopped only when Yuri abruptly reined Svatava in, pale as his Whites, feeling as though he’d just run face-first into a wall. He stumbled down from his Companion’s back, feeling sick, and nearly collapsed on the ground 

_“‘Tava,”_ he Mindspoke frantically, _“Didn’t you feel that?!”_

“What’s wrong?” Otabek asked, having turned Qadira around to double back once he noticed that Yuri had stopped.

At the same time, Svatava replied _“I felt a shift of energy, but nothing that would explain how awful you look right now.”_

“Whatever we just passed by - or through - it felt like hitting a solid barrier at full speed.” Yuri looked around nervously, dreading every possible answer to the conundrum. His head hurt like a reaction headache, but he hadn’t been using his Gifts at all, and he rarely experienced those anymore anyway. “There’s absolutely nothing good about that.”

“Is there any way for you to find out what it was?” Otabek looked concerned as he asked the question, jumping down from Qadira’s saddle to put a hand on Yuri’s shoulder to steady him. “Actually, maybe you ought to rest.”

“No, no.” Yuri shook his head. “I need to trance down and see what’s going on here. You’ve got my back, yeah?”

“That’s not a question you need to ask.” The complete seriousness in Otabek’s voice was a comfort, at least.

Yuri knelt down to the ground, placing both hands on the grass, and concentrated deeply. He reached into the soil, looking through the energies of everything around him. He could see the bright blue bursts of energy that were the Companions, the ley-lines of power running through the land to the moderately-powered nodes nearby, and disturbingly, a bright red barrier which was presumably what had given him such a shock. It looked as though the barrier was feeding off the energy of the land itself, and not only to power itself - it was leeching energy away into some unknown place that he couldn’t see, even when he attempted to probe deeper into the lines of magic drawing away from it. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed when he emerged from the trance, but Otabek and the Companions were still standing over him, watching him carefully. 

“Well, it’s definitely not just a bit of weird weather affecting this place,” Yuri said with a deep sigh. “We went through a barrier - that’s what made me so sick. The wizard who set it up keyed it as an alarm of sorts against anyone with mage-powers. The barrier is also sucking power out of the land intentionally and sending it somewhere.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know. But whoever they are, and wherever they are, they almost certainly know we’re coming.”


	5. Chapter 5

Once Yuri had recovered sufficiently from the encounter with the barrier, which took longer than Otabek would have liked, the group rode onward, ground once again flowing under the Companions’ silver hooves. As the summer sun moved lower in the sky, and they closed in on their destination, the temperature lowered to an extent that made the pace uncomfortable. The wind whipping at the Heralds’ faces felt like winter, and both had to pull cloaks and scarves from their packs to bundle up.

Otabek was worried. He kept stealing glances at his younger partner, who still looked rather unwell, despite having insisted he was fine. If this unknown enemy had abilities that could have an effect like that from such a great distance, how effective could the two of them be in combat against it?

He wanted to ask questions, but he knew Yuri had already shared everything he currently knew. Plus, at the pace they were riding, talking wouldn’t be easy. Instead, he Mindspoke to Qadira.

“ _What do you think of all of this?”_ He doubted she’d have much insight even as he thought the words.

 _“I wish I had more information to form an opinion,”_ she replied. _“Svatava doesn’t know what to expect either, and she’s very worried about Yuri.”_

 _“As am I,”_ Otabek admitted. He had been momentarily terrified when Yuri had all but fallen from Svatava’s saddle. “ _We need to make it to this Waystation sooner rather than later_.”

“ _I concur.”_

The Companions stretched their pace even further, and the group made it to their destination just before the sun began dipping below the horizon, and the air had cooled to a winter-like temperature. 

Even as they dismounted outside the small cabin, Otabek knew there was a lot to be done before they could take their rest. While Yuri took their packs and went inside to fumigate the place with the special herbal incense kept as part of the standard supplies in order to clear out insects and vermin, he prepared the large box stall that leaned against one outdoor wall. Normally, they could simply be left loose - they weren’t horses, after all - but they did need shelter from the weather. There were large bags of sawdust and straw kept in a small storage shed, and he layered those substances on the ground to insulate it. 

 _I’ll make you fine ladies a hot grain mash once we’re settled,_ he promised Qadira, who projected a sense of thankfulness back at him in return. The Companions could maintain a pace faster than any horse, but it took a lot out of them, and they’d need good feeding to replenish their energy. The hay he had just filled into the wooden bins inside the stall wouldn’t be enough. 

Once he had removed both Companions’ saddles, brushed the sweat and road dust off them, and covered them with the winter-weight blankets they’d brought along, he went to haul in enough water for them to drink. There was a well with a pump just outside, which made the job easier. Once they were settled, he took the tack into the storage shed where the supplies had been.

It was solid dark by that point, and Yuri had managed to muster the energy to build a fire in the hearth of the modest dwelling and was sitting at the small table next to it to warm himself when Otabek brought in two containers of water that would hopefully be sufficient for the two of them for the night. The strong herbal scent from the insecticide incense lingered in the air, but it wasn’t unpleasant, and Otabek was used to it from all his time on the road. 

“What do the supplies look like?” He asked. “I’d like to make a mash for Qadira and Svatava. They’re exhausted.”

Yuri looked up at him, looking quite exhausted himself. His shoulders sagged and his face was still nearly as pale as it had been earlier. “It’s the usual stuff. I’ve made some tea if you want, and this is pretty much the food selection.” He gestured to the two steaming mugs and plates with some meat jerky, dried fruit, and flat discs of hard journey-bread. “There’s oats we can use for porridge and a grain blend meant for Companions as well, but for tonight, I’m fine with this if you are.”

“I am.” Otabek took the seat at the other side of the little table. The fire was pleasant, and while the food certainly wouldn’t be the best meal he’d ever had, it wouldn’t be the worst either. “We can worry about hot food for us tomorrow.”

Once they had both eaten just enough to stave off hunger pangs, Otabek used the same pot that had been used to boil the water for their tea in order to make up the hot, nourishing meal he had promised Qadira and Svatava.

“Why don’t you change out of your traveling gear and go to bed while I feed the girls?” He suggested, looking over at Yuri while he carefully lifted the still-hot cooking pot off the fireplace by its handle. “You need some rest.”

“I do.” Yuri sighed and rubbed at his forehead as though he still had a headache. “But I want to put up some protection spells first, and even though you’re not mage-gifted, I’d rather do that once you’re back inside, just to be safe.”

The idea of Yuri exerting himself further after the events of the day made Otabek uneasy, but he couldn’t argue with the idea of having some kind of defense against their unknown enemy while they slept. “All right,” he agreed. “I’ll be right back.”

Carrying the pot of cooked grain, he pushed his way back out into the cold night air and pulled the door open to the lean-to stall where the two Companions lay in the thick bed of straw. “Dinner time,” he announced, setting it down in front of them. “Sorry, there’s just the one pot, but I think you two can manage to share.”

 _“Can we make one other request of you?”_ Qadira asked, and Otabek nodded. _“Svatava wants you to make sure that Yuri sleeps properly. She’s told me he’s tended to work himself to exhaustion in the past.”_

“I was already counting on doing that,” Otabek said, glancing at Svatava. “But it sounds like he’s planning on at least trying to sleep.” She whickered appreciatively in return. 

“Call out to us if anything strange happens. Or just kick the wall, I suppose.” Otabek grinned and shut the stall door again, repositioning the leather strap on it so that the occupants could reach it to open the door if they needed to. 

By the time he made his way back inside, Yuri had changed into the clothes he used for sleeping and was sitting at the table by the fire again, staring into the flames, slumped in the chair as though he were already half asleep. 

“Hey,” Otabek said softly, trying to get Yuri’s attention without startling him. “I’m done outside, so you can do whatever it is you’re planning.”

Yuri nodded silently and stood up from the chair, wavering on his feet a little before righting himself. He preemptively shot a glare in Otabek’s direction, daring him to say something about it, but Otabek only cocked an eyebrow in return. Yuri took a few steps into what was more or less the center of the room, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath before he began to make small, vague hand gestures in each of the cardinal directions. 

While he watched, Otabek couldn’t help wondering if the process was anything like building mental shields for mind-magic Gifts. He’d learned how to ground and center to shield his mind, like all trainee Heralds with communication-type Gifts, but he figured that probably took much less effort than whatever Yuri was probably doing.

The whole thing took less time than Otabek expected, although he wasn’t sure why he'd had any expectations at all. A few moments later, Yuri’s eyes opened again, and he still looked unsteady on his feet, but he managed to take a few more steps in order to half-sit, half-collapse on one of the beds.

“You don’t have to just stand there,” he said in Otabek’s general direction as he yanked the woven blanket over himself. Even with the fire going, it was chilled in the shelter. “The spells are set, just stay in here until I take them down in the morning.”

Otabek nodded and turned to rummage in one of his packs for his own sleeping clothes. He changed standing next to the other bed, since Waystations hadn’t been designed or furnished with the privacy of the occupants in mind. In the low light, he glanced over at Yuri’s still form, twisted up in the blanket and appearing to already be asleep. 

At least that was a good thing, he thought to himself, sitting down on the unoccupied bed - the frame of which promptly cracked underneath him and fell to the ground. He swore out loud, and pulled himself to his feet to glance back over at the other bed. At least the noise hadn’t disturbed Yuri. Upon inspection, straw-stuffed sack that passed for a mattress appeared to have been chewed through by vermin of some kind and was mostly empty, and while he couldn’t tell what had damaged the bed frame, he guessed it was probably something similar. 

Otabek pulled the ripped canvas mattress from the broken wood and put it on the floor in front of the fire instead, along with the pillow and blanket. After a moment’s consideration, he pulled his riding cloak from his pack and put that down on top of the mattress for additional insulation against the cold ground before laying down and wrapping himself in the blanket. 

As tired as he was, sleep wasn’t difficult to find. At least not until he was awakened some time later by being tripped over. It was a good thing he wasn’t sleeping with a dagger under his pillow like he had while sleeping outdoors on circuit.

“What are you doing on the floor?” Yuri sounded groggy and confused. 

“I’m sleeping,” Otabek grumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. “Why aren’t you?

“Because the fire’s burning out and it’s freezing in here.” 

Otabek opened his eyes slowly, recognizing the truth of the statement. He was shivering and it was nearly dark in the room. “Sorry, I should have fed it before I went to sleep,” he said, and pushed himself up from the floor to grab some pieces of wood and kindling. “I’ll get it going again. Go back to bed.” 

“You didn’t tell me the actual reason you were sleeping on the floor,” Yuri pointed out as he made his way back to the undamaged bed.

“The wood’s either rotted or chewed up by something,” Otabek said. His attention was focused on feeding the fire back up to a respectable level. “It broke when I sat down on it. I was surprised the noise didn’t wake you.” 

“Oh.” 

Otabek practically felt Yuri observing him as he rebuilt and fed the flames in the fireplace. Finally, when there was enough heat and light emanating from the hearth to make the Waystation feel habitable again, Otabek went back to his makeshift bed on the floor. 

“Hey,” Yuri said, just as he was about to lay back down. “You’re going to freeze sleeping on the ground. Bring the pillow and blanket over here and we’ll share the bed.” 

“I’ll be fine.” That was absolutely the last thing that Otabek wanted. Well, not really, if he were honest with himself, but it had the possibility of becoming very awkward and they still had a lot of work ahead of them that would go better without that hanging over them. “I’ve slept on the ground in worse conditions than this.”

“Yeah, probably because there wasn’t an option.” Yuri snorted in disgust. “We’re not on circuit in the middle of nowhere, you don’t have to sleep under a rotted out tree or whatever. Besides, we’ll both be warmer. I’m the argumentative one, remember? Just get over here.”

With a sigh of resignation, Otabek picked up the pillow and blanket over to the single bed. Yuri slid over, practically against the wall, to give him room to lay down. He arranged himself on his side, facing out towards the fire. The bed wasn’t really big enough for two people, but he had to admit that it would be at least somewhat more restful than the floor, and the warmth of Yuri’s body against his back was comforting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear, the actual plot is coming up next (as long as I don't get distracted by writing thousands of words of mindless smut one-shots again), but I couldn't possibly write a fic with this plot without including a bed-sharing trope.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a mini-chapter, because I've written the entire next one already and this bit doesn't really go with the rest of it and I had to find some kind of a break point...
> 
> The next chapter contains actual plot advancement and should be posted by tomorrow at the latest! It just needs to be typed and edited!

Otabek woke at dawn, as usual, but in a haze of confusion. There was a solid, warm weight draped half on top of him and it took a moment to remember why he wasn’t alone in bed. It was a rare occasion that he woke up next to anyone even under the most innocent of circumstances, and he briefly allowed himself the indulgence of enjoying it, even though he knew he shouldn’t. 

Yuri looked softer, younger, in his sleep. _You wouldn’t guess his prickly personality seeing him like this,_ Otabek thought, gazing at the way the other man’s long blond hair flowed over the pillows. It was terribly impractical for field work, but it was common knowledge that mages were flamboyant, so for all Otabek knew, maybe they had ways to manage technicalities like that. _And it certainly suits him…_

After laying abed far longer than he’d intended, Otabek forced his mind off that train of thought and attempted to get up. Extracting himself from the tangle of Yuri’s limbs without waking him was more difficult than Otabek expected, but he managed it. 

He gave himself a perfunctory wash with some of the water from a small basin he’d filled by the fire the night before, dressed in his Whites, and was about to go check on the Companions, but he remembered Yuri’s protection spell and Mindcalled Qadira instead.

_“Is everything all right with you?”_

_“We’re just fine,_ ” she replied. _“We let ourselves out a little while ago - the sun’s warming things up enough to be more comfortable. You can take these blankets off of us whenever you’ve got the chance.”_

_“I’ll be out when I can. Yuri put up a spell last night and told me to stay inside until he takes it down. He’s still sleeping and I’d rather not wake him.”_

_“No, no, ‘Tava says don’t do that.”_

_“Understood.”_

It may have been a little warmer outside with the sun out, but the air inside the Waystation still carried a damp chill, and Otabek knew he needed to prepare something to eat from the meager supplies in the store cupboard. He settled on making porridge with some of the grains and dried fruit. _Maybe we can buy a bit of honey in town later to add to this tomorrow,_ he thought, while he stirred the mixture with some water in another pot hung over the fire. 

When Yuri finally woke, the first thing he did was take down the spell, so Otabek went outside to take care of necessary tasks while he washed, dressed, and ate. To Otabek’s surprise, Yuri had no objection to that arrangement. Maybe getting a good amount of sleep made him more agreeable. Otabek made a mental note of that while he was removing and storing the heavy blankets that Svatava and Qadira had worn overnight, and then went to wash out the pot he’d made their hot mash in. 

Once he’d cleaned and tidied up as much as possible, Otabek hauled out the tack again and set about getting the Companions ready to get on with their mission. “I hope you weren’t too cold last night,” he said as he hefted Qadira’s saddle onto her back.

 _“We were comfortable enough, all things considered,_ ” she replied. _“And you?”_

“This Waystation is a bit run down.” Otabek shrugged. “Things could be in better condition. But it’s fine.”

_“What’s the problem?”_

“You’re going to find this much more amusing than it actually is,” Otabek said as he tightened the girth of the saddle, “but one of the beds broke when I sat down on it. I spent half the night sleeping on the floor.” 

 _“Oh, well, that’s a shame._ ” Qadira did indeed sound far too amused for Otabek’s liking. _“But where, pray tell, did you spend the other half of it?”_

“I’m sure you’ve guessed, or you wouldn’t have phrased that question that way.” Otabek rolled his eyes and slipped the hackamore over her head. He switched to Mindspeech to continue. _“He tripped over me in the middle of the night and insisted we share the other bed. That’s it. Don’t read too much into it!”_

 _“I wasn’t insinuating anything,”_ she replied, serene and composed, but still with a hint of amusement in the words. 

Otabek snorted in disbelief, but didn’t answer. Instead, he went to get Svatava’s tack so he could get her set up as well, since it was best that they got to work as soon as Yuri was prepared. He finished the task shortly before Yuri emerged from the shelter of the Waystation, dressed and presumably ready to go, and they set off for town.

Eridwald was supposed to be only about a candlemark away at an easy pace, and it turned out to be an uneventful ride, which Otabek was grateful for. They’d already had enough surprises and he was sure there would be more to come. At the very least, he was relieved that Yuri looked as though he’d recovered from the previous day just fine with the combination of food and sleep. As long as they could both keep it together, physically and mentally, he could keep up the hope that this would all end well. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got this part typed up and edited quicker than I expected, so I'm posting two chapters in one day. :3
> 
> I'm moving this week and next so I don't know that I'l have much time to write, but I promise to finish this eventually! I have an updated outline and everything!

Yuri may have looked better than he had the day before, but he still felt somewhat tired, not to mention more than a little apprehensive about what they were going to find out upon their arrival in Eridwald. He was also mildly annoyed with himself for having been too exhausted to appreciate what falling asleep next to another person had been like. It wasn’t like the setting had been romantic, and he would have insisted upon sharing the bed even if he hadn’t been so oddly drawn to Otabek - nobody deserved to sleep on the cold floor of a Waystation as far as he was concerned - but he would have at least liked to wake up before Otabek had gotten out of bed. _Damn the man’s stupid pre-dawn wake-up habit,_ he thought.

Svatava was apparently eavesdropping in his thoughts as they traveled, however, because he heard her Mindvoice begin to laugh at him.

_“Damn it, ‘Tava, can’t a man think in peace?”_

_“Not with me around!”_ She sounded far too cheerful for Yuri’s liking. _“So, are you going to share the bed with him again tonight?”_

_“I had to practically browbeat him into it to begin with. Knowing him, he’ll probably insist on trying to fix the other one.”_

_“You can’t fault him for being a gentleman!”_ Svatava’s words took on a dreamy tone. _“It’s so romantic, like you’re star-crossed lovers in a song!”_

 _“You sound like a daydreaming schoolgirl. He’s putting up with me because he has to.”_   Yuri sighed softly and glanced surreptitiously in Otabek’s direction. _“It’s fine. Feeling this way is distracting, but I’ll get over it. We have work to do and I’m not going to let this nonsense screw up the first significant thing I’ve been tasked with.”_

_“I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.”_

Yuri continued turning his thoughts over in his mind until they arrived at the town of Eridwald not long later. Farm towns were always hard to define the boundaries of. Homesteads gradually came closer and closer together until they turned into a little cluster of homes and buildings that made up a town square. 

Riding into these small towns always brought Heralds under no small amount of scrutiny, which made Yuri wildly uncomfortable. People looked at them, dressed in their Whites on the backs of the Companions, as though they were gods. He never felt quite sure how to project the air of quiet, polite confidence that his mentors had always been able to assume so effortlessly. He glanced at Otabek again, who was smiling and waving at a group of playing children, and sighed. _Of course he has that figured out too,_ he thought. 

A tall, dark-haired man approached them once they’d arrived in what was more or less the center of town. Yuri’s first impression of the man, who was dressed marginally better than most of the other residents they’d seen but still bore the darkened skin of someone who labored in the fields, was that he was probably new to whatever position he held. 

“Well met, Heralds,” the man said, shaking each of their hands as they dismounted from the Companions’ backs. His firm grip and calloused hands bolstered Yuri’s first impressions. “Thank you for coming to help us. I am Jacknan, and while I’ve no official title, I coordinate most of our trade here, and I also liaise with the Guard.” 

 _Well, that explains it,_ Yuri thought, _he probably still works his own fields to make a living._ Probably nothing odd about him, then. 

“Pleased to meet you,” Otabek replied. “I’m Otabek, and this is Yuri. The Queen and council have tasked us with finding the root of your problem and, with any luck, solving it. We got to experience a bit of your weather problem on the ride in, and I can see why you sent word to Haven for help.” 

“Oh yes, it’s terrible.” Jacknan wore a worried expression on his face. “The nights, especially, are quite unbearable for this time of year. If we lose our harvest, we’ll be in big trouble before next spring.”

“Well, the Queen has already pledged aid should that be necessary. The Guard will have the specifics of that for you,” Otabek explained.

While his partner continued to make polite small talk with the man, Yuri looked around at the small crowd of observers who had gathered. Children stared in awe at the Companions’ white coats and silver hooves, and more than a few of the adults focused warily on the weapons both Heralds wore. One child in particular caught his eye - a young girl of perhaps ten years, who approached Svatava and petted her on the nose - but when she looked up and saw him watching her, she ran away, back into the crowd. 

Finally, Yuri spoke up during a break in the conversation. “So, if we’re going to figure things out, I think the first thing to do is ask around your town here and see if anyone’s noticed anything strange, different, or in any way out of the ordinary.” 

“Agreed,” said Otabek, but he shot Yuri a strange look. 

 _“What?”_ Yuri Mindspoke at him, which earned him an even stranger look. 

 _“Nothing, you were just zoned out there before you interrupted.”_ Otabek’s Mindvoice was lighter and more lyrical than his speaking voice, which shocked Yuri slightly. It was quite pleasant, and he wondered briefly how many more excuses he could find to Mindspeak with the man before the end of their assignment.

Meanwhile, Otabek had turned to address the small crowd, asking for anyone who had information to volunteer it. A small string of probably useless tips were offered by various people - chickens gone missing (probably snatched by wildlife), holes in fences (which weren’t suspicious and Yuri suspected the farmer just wanted to air his grievances), and other mundane things of no significance at all. 

Once Yuri had determined that no one gathered had anything useful to say, he addressed Otabek with a suggestion. “We should ride around to the homesteads on the outskirts and find out if anyone out there has seen anything.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” Otabek said, and swung back up into Qadira’s saddle. Yuri followed suit and they headed back out from the town square to find more local residents to question, riding at an easy pace. Hurrying around at this point held no particular benefit.

By mid-afternoon, the pair had spoken to several farmers and their families, none of whom could offer any insight either, and Yuri had gotten quite frustrated.

“How are we supposed to figure out what’s going on around here when nobody can even give us a clue?” He grumbled as they rode onward. “It’s like we’re chasing a black dog in the middle of a moonless night.”

“That’s an interesting metaphor.” Otabek chuckled. “Have patience. I’m sure we’ll find something.” 

Yuri begrudgingly agreed, and they made stops at two more homesteads before deciding to call it a day. Otabek had expressed a desire to purchase some supplementary foodstuffs in town, and Yuri was certainly not going to argue with that idea. Once they arrived back at the town center, they located a shop selling a variety of sundries, and left the Companions by the entrance while they went inside. 

While Otabek was making his purchases, Yuri noticed the young girl who’d approached Svatava peering curiously at him from around a doorframe. _She must be the shopkeeper’s daughter,_ he thought, and did his best to give her a friendly smile. She started to approach him, but the shopkeeper interrupted his conversation with Otabek to shout at her.

“Eldrissa, don’t bother the Heralds! I’m sure your mother needs you for something.” 

The girl looked properly chastised, her gaze pointed at the ground. “But Da,” she murmured, “earlier, with Mister Jacknan, they wanted to know about things things that are strange…”

“Do you know about anything strange, Eldrissa?” Yuri asked, as gently as he could. There was something about this girl, he knew it, and he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. “You’re right, you know, we would like to know about it if you do.” 

The girl looked warily from Yuri to her father and back again. “Well,” she said softly, voice wavering, “sometimes I go play in the woods - I know I’m not supposed to, Da, but the other kids do - and last week we found a place that felt very strange, it made my head feel all itchy…” 

“You probably got bugs in your hair, stupid girl,” the shopkeeper said, glaring angrily at his daughter, but Yuri’s icy stare shut him up. 

“Let her talk,” he all but growled in the man’s direction. In a kinder tone, he addressed Eldrissa again. “Can you tell me where this spot was? And did the other kids’ heads feel itchy like yours?”

“It was just me, Sir,” she replied, meek and soft. “They made fun of me for it. And it was just in the western forest, nobody really goes there except to cut firewood, since you can’t farm it.”

 _“We can use this,_ ” Yuri Mindspoke to Otabek. _“Tell the Companions while I do this other thing. And make sure the idiot shopkeeper doesn’t stop me.”_ Meanwhile, he spoke verbally to Eldrissa again. “Do you mind if I do something else that might make your head feel itchy like that spot in the forest?” He asked. “You see, I can use magic, and I’d like to use it to look inside your head and see if you’re sensitive to it as well.” 

Out of the corner of Yuri’s eye, he could see the shopkeeper about to object, and the way he stopped in his tracks at the severe look at Otabek’s face. 

“Will it hurt?” Eldrissa asked.

“No, my dear, and it will only take a moment. Then you can go help your mother, as your father so clearly wishes.” He couldn’t resist making the comment despite his better judgement. 

Eldrissa nodded her consent, and Yuri gently placed his hands on both sides of her head, closing his eyes and looking into her mind for the channels he expected to find. He was no mage-teacher, not by a long shot, but he was good enough to know potential when he saw it. Sure enough, the girl carried latent Mage-Gift as well as Mindspeech and the potential for Foresight. 

When he was through, Yuri pulled his hands away and flashed the girl another smile. “Thank you, Eldrissa. I think we may see each other again sometime when you’re a bit older.” 

Eldrissa grinned widely and ran off towards the back of the shop, and the shopkeeper heaved a sigh. “She’s been quite the odd once since she’s been born. You needn’t humor her stupid games,” he said. 

Yuri turned to address the man, and he tried to contain his anger when he spoke. “Stupid games?” He asked. “What she just told me may help us solve the problem we’ve been brought here to fix. Your daughter has quite a lot of potential, and it’s not my place to say, but you may well see her Chosen in the next few years. You ought to let her be a child as long as she’s able.”

“I’m going to suggest you never take up diplomacy,” Otabek said dryly after they had left the shop.

Yuri laughed and mounted Svatava while Otabek packed his purchases into Qadira’s saddle bags. “Well, it’s not in my career plans anyway. Besides, we have a lead, that’s what matters.”

The air turned even colder again as the sun began to sink towards the horizon while they rode back towards the Waystation. Suddenly, Yuri thought of something. 

“I’ve got an idea on how we can investigate the strange spot in the forest without outright charging in there,” he said. “We can look for traces of magic doing things it’s not supposed to in that area from a distance."

“And how do you want to do that?” Otabek asked curiously. 

“You said you’ve trained at integrating your Farsight with someone else’s Fetching Gift before, right?” Yuri asked, and Otabek nodded. “Well, I was thinking we could do something similar except with my Mage-Sight.” 

“You’re going to have to elaborate.”

Yuri thought for a moment of how to better explain. “In the same way that I could Fetch something I could see only through your mind, I could theoretically also use Mage-Sight to look through your mind in the same way.” 

“You’ve never tried this, then?” Otabek sounded less skeptical than Yuri had been expecting.

“No, but there’s really not much risk in trying, at least not that I can think of,” Yuri said with a shrug. “I think it’s a better idea than just going out there blind, anyway, especially given the magical barrier we rode through on the way here. If there’s anything else like that, I’d like to See it ahead of time.”

“Hmm.” Otabek seemed to be considering that for a moment. “Well, I suppose I’m game if you are. Let’s get back first, though, I want to hunt something fresh for dinner before it’s completely dark.”

“Sounds like a solid plan. I wouldn’t mind eating something hot that isn’t out of a Waystation store cupboard.”


End file.
